{"id":480,"date":"2023-07-11T12:01:00","date_gmt":"2023-07-11T12:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/?p=480"},"modified":"2023-07-11T14:49:50","modified_gmt":"2023-07-11T14:49:50","slug":"not-critics-not-foundations-not-government-not-donors-not-audiences-not-them-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2023\/07\/11\/not-critics-not-foundations-not-government-not-donors-not-audiences-not-them-you\/","title":{"rendered":"Nonprofit Arts Closings: \u201cDuh.\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\">Mark Taper Forum. Book-It Repertory. Lookingglass Theatre. Dozens of others to come. All because of what? Vision? Vanity? Vainglory? Or just money? It should make you angry, not sad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pexels-oleksandr-pidvalnyi-12969258.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-487\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pexels-oleksandr-pidvalnyi-12969258.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pexels-oleksandr-pidvalnyi-12969258.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pexels-oleksandr-pidvalnyi-12969258.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pexels-oleksandr-pidvalnyi-12969258.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pexels-oleksandr-pidvalnyi-12969258.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo by Oleksandr Pidvalnyi on Pexels)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I will make this as clear as possible, because it seems to be going over the head of too many nonprofit arts leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When nonprofit arts organizations close down, suspend productions, or otherwise stop paying people to produce art, it\u2019s the fault of the nonprofit, not \u201ccircumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I hate that companies are choosing to jump into whirlpools of inadequate service that drain into sewers of irrelevance. Nonprofit arts organizations close down all the time. There\u2019s rarely shame in it. After all, as one sage New York theater aficionado once told me, \u201cEvery show that\u2019s ever been on Broadway has closed\u200a\u2014\u200aexcept the ones that are open right now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But this is ridiculous. It\u2019s like <em>The Simpsons<\/em> episode where Ned Flanders\u2019 hippie parents are confronted by a psychologist about Ned\u2019s bad behavior as a kid:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Simpsons   We&#039;ve Tried Nothing And We&#039;re All Out Of Ideas\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lOTyUfOHgas?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cWe\u2019ve tried nothing and we\u2019re all out of ideas.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Come on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/entertainment\/news\/commentary-why-did-center-theatre-group-really-halt-programming-at-the-mark-taper-forum\/ar-AA1d368A\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The Mark Taper Forum<\/a>, which opened in 1967, suspended operations in June. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.seattletimes.com\/entertainment\/theater\/seattles-book-it-repertory-theatre-to-close-after-33-years\/?fbclid=IwAR1fw4fJzEiszW1Jpdaurqnakrr15EH3nrHyJmeQSInokDYWp-xF3BCXepk\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Book-It Repertory<\/a>, which received its nonprofit status in 1990, closed down permanently in June as well. Other arts organizations closed earlier this year. More will close later this year. Far more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And there\u2019s really no good reason to have closed, other than money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn-images-1.medium.com\/max\/842\/1%2AHpU1G1EBJzdrVq_qtoHGbQ.jpeg?ssl=1\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo by Marco Verch Professional Photographer, CC by&nbsp;2.0)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I can see that look on your face. Something to the effect of \u201cDuh\u201d has crossed your mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s give you some more background on these closings\/suspensions. Clear out your preconceived notions about why nonprofit theaters exist, and some of this will sound achingly weird.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The only reason that the Mark Taper Forum suspended operations was the immense financial deficit that its parent nonprofit, Center Theatre Group, had accumulated. According to reports, CTG has about $9 million in accrued deficits\u200a\u2014\u200abills, loan repayments, interest, etc. The two other theaters run by CTG (The Ahmanson Pavilion and The Kirk Douglas Theatre) are also losing money, year over year over year over year, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn-images-1.medium.com\/max\/842\/1%2AKnPUo5J7vx1XIfW4OJPIjg.jpeg?ssl=1\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles (Photo: Andreas Praefcke, CC BY&nbsp;3.0)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Donations have dropped off a cliff. In the most recent <a href=\"https:\/\/philanthropy.iupui.edu\/news-events\/news-item\/giving-usa:-total-u.s.-charitable-giving-declined-in-2022-to-$499.33-billion-following-two-years-of-record-generosity.html?id=422\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Giving USA<\/a> study, donations have dropped by 10.4% from 2021 (after adjusting for inflation). Giving by individuals dropped by 13.4%. In the arts, culture, and humanities sector, total giving dropped by 8.9%. While national data do not predict local results, it is fair to believe that giving to the arts (which has seen a precipitous drop over the last 2 decades), will continue to fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Looking at their 990 from June 2021, CTG\u2019s financial condition took a huge loss from lack of ticket income (-$32 million or so), even though their net assets increased by about $15 million. These items are unrelated, financially, but serve as interest to all those arts folks who think that buying a building is a great thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s not. (For the sake of all that is holy, don\u2019t buy a building. You can\u2019t sell a door if you need cash.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That said, the blame is being placed by CTG squarely on the shoulders of its own programming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cTaper shows lose the most money,\u201d [CTG managing director and CEO Meghan] Pressman said in an interview with The [Los Angeles] Times. \u201cThat\u2019s always been true. But right now they\u2019re costing us twice as much as they would have before. And the Ahmanson is bringing in less than half of what it did. Donations are down. Ultimately, we just can\u2019t afford to continue to lose a million dollars a show at the Taper. We had to pause.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Are you struck by the first sentence of that quote? \u201cTaper shows lose the most money.\u201d If this were a charity to protect and serve the homeless, would we even talk about \u201closing money\u201d? Or would we talk about losing services, and in doing so, causing more people to die on the street?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ms. Pressman is not wrong about losing money. Productions often lose money when ticket sales are part of the income stream. Ticket sales\u200a\u2014\u200aa commercial activity\u200a\u2014\u200ado not support a nonprofit company. But remember this: neither do ticket sales support a library. A food bank. A free clinic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rather than looking at ticket sales as the main rudder of financial success, it behooves Taper-like organizations to eschew the practice of producing art for the sake of artists and devote all their resources toward serving the public that really, really, really needs to be served. And the arguments that producing art is a public good ring awfully hollow when the company depends on selling extraordinarily expensive tickets to the Muffys and Buffys of the world in order to \u201cbreak even.\u201d Even the idea of \u201cbreaking even\u201d as a construct is offensive to other charitable organizations which use their funds not only to pay their people, but to save lives and do what the IRS considers to be exempt activities in section 501(C)(3) of the code. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.irs.gov\/charities-non-profits\/charitable-organizations\/exempt-purposes-internal-revenue-code-section-501c3\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">This column has referred to those short sentences often<\/a>, but until the organizations take them to heart, the nonprofit arts industry will continue to go the wrong way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Seattle, the Book-It Repertory issues were similar, but perhaps more doleful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>To blame for the closure, [Board Chair Christine] Stepherson said in a phone interview, were diminished audience attendance, changes in funder priorities and a lack of enough major donors, among other reasons. \u201cWe aren\u2019t a theater company that has a huge endowment,\u201d she said. \u201cWe had really hoped that we could make it through all of this. We are just at a point where we don\u2019t feel it\u2019s responsible to have contracts with artists and move forward with such small margins.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The key phrase here is \u201cdiminished attendance, changes in funder priorities and a lack of enough major donors.\u201d Ms. Stepherson, like Ms. Pressman, is not wrong. Book-It, a much smaller company (at least in budget), had a mission to \u201cto transform great literature into great theatre through simple and sensitive production and to inspire our audiences to read.\u201d Among all the theater companies we\u2019ve researched over the last year, Book-It was among the only ones to use one of the tax-exempt purposes listed in 501(C)(3): \u201c\u2026literary or educational purposes.\u201d As such, it has a greater chance of success\u200a\u2014\u200aif it can choose to break away from its past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, Book-It never reported measurable impact on, say, the numbers of people reading due to their productions, increased reading among those readers, or better test scores among the student readers in that population. Instead, they constantly referred to their own productions, just like the Mark Taper Forum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The \u201cchanges in funder priorities\u201d has all to do with the one thing the Pandemic taught all Americans who seek a better life. What is essential? It turns out that social service organizations are essential and arts organizations are not. The public voted, and those are the results. No other portion of the sector dropped as much as nonprofit arts organizations did in 2021. And while correlation does not equal causation, there is much to be gleaned from the data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As for Lookingglass Theatre Company in Chicago (which formed as a nonprofit in 1989), there is at least a drop of hope. However, they seemed to take the \u201cthe business is bad all over the country\u201d tack, ceding no responsibility to addressing the needs of their community in direct, measurable ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>\u201cWhile the pandemic has been declared over, theatres in our country are still feeling the effects of needing to shut down for so long. Since re-opening, audiences and donations have not returned to 2019 levels, and the American Theatre is struggling to survive.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n<cite><em>(excerpted from a letter to donors from artistic director Heidi Stillman and board chair Diane Whatton.)<\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>National data has no bearing on local impact. The immediate message here is that there seems to be no way to continue to do business in Chicago, even though many theaters in Chicago are continuing to do business in Chicago. And, of course, no comment at all about the loss of charitable impact for members of the community &#8211; mostly because there is no comment about the existence of real, quantifiable, charitable impact for the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s not about what&#8217;s going on in the rest of the United States. It&#8217;s about impact. It\u2019s not about tickets. It\u2019s about impact. It\u2019s not about breaking even. It\u2019s about impact. It\u2019s not about the art. It\u2019s about impact. It\u2019s not about the next big thing. It\u2019s about impact. It\u2019s not about the building. It\u2019s about impact. It\u2019s not even about new voices telling new stories, unless those stories provide <strong><em>measurable impact<\/em><\/strong> in your community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I can only hope something like \u201cDuh\u201d has crossed your mind <em>now<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ko-fi.com\/alanharrison\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"58\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Line-Flourish-2.png?resize=1024%2C58&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-73\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Line-Flourish-2.png?resize=1024%2C58&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Line-Flourish-2.png?resize=300%2C17&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Line-Flourish-2.png?resize=768%2C44&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Line-Flourish-2.png?w=1174&amp;ssl=1 1174w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ko-fi.com\/alanharrison\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/buy-me-a-coffee-for-bottom-of-articles.jpg?resize=429%2C229&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-60\" width=\"429\" height=\"229\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>Based in Kirkland, Washington, <\/em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/501c3.guru\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Alan Harrison<\/em><\/a><em> is a writer and speaker specializing in nonprofit organizations, strategy, the arts, and life politics. His columns appear regularly in major publications. Contact him directly at <\/em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"mailto:alan@501c3.guru\" target=\"_blank\"><em>alan@501c3.guru<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/elliottbaybook.com\/item\/WepMITbQuyd1Ad_8fzXNLQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Line-Flourish-2.png?resize=1024%2C58&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-73\" width=\"1024\" height=\"58\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Line-Flourish-2.png?resize=1024%2C58&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Line-Flourish-2.png?resize=300%2C17&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Line-Flourish-2.png?resize=768%2C44&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Line-Flourish-2.png?w=1174&amp;ssl=1 1174w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/scenechangebook.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/COVER-ART-for-ArtsJournal.jpg?resize=335%2C517&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-329\" width=\"335\" height=\"517\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/COVER-ART-for-ArtsJournal.jpg?w=648&amp;ssl=1 648w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/COVER-ART-for-ArtsJournal.jpg?resize=194%2C300&amp;ssl=1 194w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 335px) 100vw, 335px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"block-7b0f806d-b49d-4bc8-af7e-db2018aea963\">BIG NEWS: Alan\u2019s new book, \u201cScene Change: Why Today\u2019s Nonprofit Arts Organizations Have to Stop Producing Art and Start Producing Impact\u201d will be published in January. <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.elliottbaybook.com\/item\/WepMITbQuyd1Ad_8fzXNLQ\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>CLICK HERE<\/strong> TO PRE-ORDER IN THE UNITED STATES<\/a><strong>. <\/strong>If you live in the UK, <a href=\"https:\/\/uk.bookshop.org\/p\/books\/scene-change-why-todaya-s-nonprofit-arts-organizations-have-to-stop-producing-art-and-start-producing-impact-alan-harrison\/7420411?ean=9781803414461\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>CLICK&nbsp;HERE<\/strong><\/a>.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Alan will be hosting a session on the responsibilities of Nonprofit Arts Boards for the California Association of Symphony Orchestras in August. <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.acso.org\/conference\" target=\"_blank\">If you\u2019re affiliated <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.acso.org\/conference\">with an orchestra in California, come join us in Riverside!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"block-0dfb8438-270f-4e93-ad11-90279de0941c\">A few more copies may be made available for those booking conferences, reading engagements, and speaking engagements. Recruit your local bookstore, conference panel, or boardroom to get a visit from Alan. Let Alan know if you want <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"mailto:alan@501c3.guru\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>bulk copies for your board!<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mark Taper Forum. Book-It Repertory. Lookingglass. Dozens of others to come. All because of what? Vision? Vanity? Vainglory? Or just\u00a0money?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":487,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,20,40,32,19,18,17,27],"tags":[67,66,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-480","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-culture","8":"category-board-of-directors","9":"category-change","10":"category-charity","11":"category-leadership","12":"category-nonprofit","13":"category-nonprofit-arts-organizations","14":"category-philanthropy-and-donors","15":"tag-book-it","16":"tag-essential","17":"tag-mark-taper-forum","18":"entry"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pexels-oleksandr-pidvalnyi-12969258.jpg?fit=1920%2C1280&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":757,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2024\/02\/13\/nonprofit-arts-organizations-you-missed-the-point-again\/","url_meta":{"origin":480,"position":0},"title":"Nonprofit Arts Organizations: You Missed the Point. Again.","author":"Alan Harrison","date":"February 13, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Yes, you're a nonprofit. Big deal. Like tennis, if you don't serve well, it's your fault.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Arts and Culture&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Arts and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/category\/arts-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Tennis-ball-into-the-net.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Tennis-ball-into-the-net.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Tennis-ball-into-the-net.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Tennis-ball-into-the-net.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Tennis-ball-into-the-net.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":749,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2024\/02\/06\/your-addiction-to-artistic-vision-means-diddly-squat-to-your-community\/","url_meta":{"origin":480,"position":1},"title":"Your Addiction to Artistic Vision Means Diddly-Squat to Your Community","author":"Alan Harrison","date":"February 6, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Nonprofit arts organizations are neither creators nor art itself. They have responsibilities to the community they serve.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Arts and Culture&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Arts and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/category\/arts-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/shooting-up.jpg?fit=1000%2C655&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/shooting-up.jpg?fit=1000%2C655&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/shooting-up.jpg?fit=1000%2C655&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/shooting-up.jpg?fit=1000%2C655&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":543,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2023\/09\/19\/if-your-nonprofit-arts-organizations-audience-is-comprised-solely-of-ticket-buyers-you-missed-the-point-the-boat-and-your-chance\/","url_meta":{"origin":480,"position":2},"title":"If Your Nonprofit Arts Organization\u2019s Audience Is Comprised Solely of Ticket Buyers, You Missed the Point, the Boat, and Your Chance","author":"Alan Harrison","date":"September 19, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Have you stuck by your audience? Are you stuck with your audience? 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